Related video above: Protesters clash with ICE agents outside suburban processing facility.
CHICAGO (WGN) – U.S. Customs and Border Patrol boats were spotted on the Chicago River Thursday afternoon.
The boats were seen traveling east on the Chicago River and armed federal agents were spotted aboard the boats.
The Chicago Tribune reported the boats docked near the Chicago Harbor Lock just south of Navy Pier as part of a plan to stage marine vessels and vehicles at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facility near Navy Pier.
The Harbor Lock, which is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, separates the Chicago River from Lake Michigan and serves as the mechanism by which boats travel between the river and lake in Chicago.
The Harbor Lock is also one of the busiest locks in the country for commercial and recreational boat traffic, according to officials.
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael W. Banks posted on social media Thursday morning saying he had arrived in Chicago, although it is unclear if his visit has anything to do with the docking at Harbor Lock.
This all comes during what President Donald Trump’s ICE team calls “Operation Midway Blitz,” an initiative launched earlier this month to arrest undocumented immigrants with criminal records in Chicago and its suburbs.
The initiative has been met with much resistance and protests throughout Chicagoland.
Last week, protesters clashed with ICE agents outside an immigration facility in Broadview, prompting ICE agents to deploy tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd.
ICE activity has been been reported in Wheaton and Elgin. Agents also appeared to target roofers in Naperville, leaving workers and residents shaken.
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